Children's home run by Hopscotch Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2528141 1

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Hopscotch Care Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is one of a number operated by a private organisation. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for one young person who may have emotional or behavioural needs.

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Information about this children’s home

A manager was appointed in December 2020 but has not yet applied to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Ofsted last visited this children’s home on 28 January 2021, when we carried out a monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out to review action taken by the provider to address compliance notices issued in January 2021, in relation to the protection of children and leadership and management.

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This monitoring visit

At the monitoring visit carried out in January 2021, Ofsted found that the provider had failed to ensure that risks to children’s safety and well-being were assessed and managed in an effective manner. In addition, Ofsted found evidence that the provider had failed to take effective action in response to a serious concern about a child’s well-being.

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This monitoring visit

During this visit, the provider was able to demonstrate that they have taken sufficient action to address the identified concerns.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last visit, a child has been admitted to the home. His social worker was highly complimentary about the admission process and described a well-planned, closely supported transition. She felt that the manager and staff had taken time to Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2528141 2 understand the child’s needs and had implemented clear plans to support his safety and well-being.

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This monitoring visit

A new system has been implemented to assess risks and generate guidance for staff about how to manage them. Staff say that the new system is an improvement, as it provides a better level of information. Staff demonstrate good understanding of the action required to maintain the young person’s safety and well-being.

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This monitoring visit

The staff team has been provided with additional training in areas associated with the child’s needs. Staff spoke highly of this training and said that it had assisted them in planning the child’s care. In addition, all staff have attended refresher safeguarding training.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s safeguarding policy and procedures have been reviewed and updated. Actions required in response to safeguarding concerns are clear and include the need to ensure that senior managers are immediately notified of any concerns. In addition, procedures for working with relevant external agencies are clear.

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This monitoring visit

The provider’s recruitment procedures have been updated to provide clear expectations about obtaining additional information where necessary. This will help to ensure that appointed staff are mentally and physically fit to carry out their role.

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This monitoring visit

An on-call system has now been introduced, which means that staff are able to contact a manager at any time of the day or night. All staff spoken with were fully aware of the on-call system and how to access it.

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This monitoring visit

Systems for monitoring both significant events and standards of quality and safety have been reviewed. Senior managers now oversee and evaluate all significant events and ensure that any necessary follow-up actions are taken. Ensuring that there is a registered manager in place at the home will further support the improvements in internal monitoring.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 05/11/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2528141 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the need to ensure that there is a registered manager in post who is able to lead and manage the home effectively and in accordance with the home’s statement of purpose. 16 April 2021

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 19 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; 7 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2528141 4 an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and 19 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2528141 5 make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should be familiar with the home’s policies on record- keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should support children to be aware of and manage their own safety both inside and outside the home to the extent that any good parent would. Staff should help children to develop their understanding of safe internet and social media use. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.9)  The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an

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Recommendations

independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring to support continuous improvement. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2528141 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 19 Lancaster Road, Carnforth LA5 9LD

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Inspector

Marie Cordingley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2528141 7 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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